Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said there is a need to achieve total self-sufficiency in food and assured that the government would ensure this so that India does not have to import any food item. Currently, the import dependency in edible oil is about 55 per cent whereas in pulses it went from 8 per cent in 2022-23 to 21 per cent in 2024-25.

“If food security is to be ensured, we need to be self-sufficient in pulses and oilseeds. There should not be any food item which requires import from overseas. We have to ensure this complete food security. Bharat will fulfil its requirements from its own farmers,” Chouhan said in Jaipur.

Inaugurating a regional agriculture conference, he said that under the Pulses Mission launched by the Centre, all states have been directed to maximise seed production to ensure availability of quality seeds to farmers. Financial assistance is being provided for seed production — ₹4,500 per quintal for tur (pigeon pea), ₹2,000 per quintal for urad, and ₹1,800 per quintal for gram.

State-wise targets for subsidised seed distribution have also been set — 3,10,870 quintals for Madhya Pradesh, 2,45,000 quintals for Rajasthan, 87,500 quintals for Maharashtra, and 40,000 quintals for Gujarat. Special emphasis is being placed on rapidly bringing new pulse varieties into the seed chain, with 79 varieties identified in Rajasthan, 58 in Gujarat, 63 in Madhya Pradesh, and 58 in Maharashtra.

Highlighting that Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat together contribute over 60 per cent of the country’s pulses production, he said there are districts like Narmadapuram (MP), Jhalawar and Tonk (Rajasthan), Gadchiroli (Maharashtra), and Junagadh (Gujarat) which are performing exceptionally well and will be developed as model districts. He added that special plans will be implemented to enhance output in those districts with lower productivity.

“Provision has also been made for 100 per cent procurement of tur, urad, and masoor from ‘willing’ farmers at MSP, ensuring income security similar to wheat and rice,” he said. Many experts have questioned the addition of the phrase ‘willing’ in the scheme, pointing out that no such thing happens in procurement of wheat and paddy. “It allows an exit route for the government from procuring oilseeds and pulses,” alleged Rampal Jat, president of Kisan Mahapanchayat.

Chouhan also said that under the National Edible Oil Mission (Oilseeds), the production of oilseeds reached a record 429.89 lakh tonnes (lt) in 2024-25, compared to 396.69 lt in 2023-24. Productivity too has increased from 1.31 tonne per hectare in 2023-24 to 1.41 tonne per hectare in 2024-25. He informed the gathering that in 2025-26, an additional 13.35 lakh hectares have been brought under oilseed cultivation through 1,076 value chain clusters.

He reiterated that a separate agricultural roadmap will be prepared for each state to determine the most suitable crops, varieties, and farming practices. Farmers will be linked through a Farmer ID, ensuring that the entire system of distribution of fertilizers, seeds, crop insurance, and compensation becomes transparent and targeted, he added.

Published on April 7, 2026